#ffxiv scholasticate

[sirensongsea]

scholasticate_questline.mp4

[dearestcherry]

lebrassoir and archombadin in the pillars.

[bydusklight]

shhh, quiet in the library

[sjofn-lofnsdottr]

Elftober 18: Study

I am tired and overheated but I have these pictures that fit. Dusk tries, he really does, but researching or studying is not one of his gifts. He gets distracted easily, and very antsy, and one of the many reasons he's glad his parents ditched Ishgard is it meant there was zero chance he would've had to attend one of their schools.

[morganali-art]

I've been running my tiniest lala through the scholasticate quests.

I'll stop making this joke when it stops making me laugh 😅

[goldshitter]

[cryoriku]

and your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing - x

🕊 💎 🕯 🕊 💎 🕯 🕊 💎 🕯

[impossible-rat-babies]

funniest thing is there is a non zero chance that estinien has seen/met two mothers of eyrie’s children and would have No Idea about it

mayhaps funnier is aymeric met eyrie’s daughter aoife before they met him

[wayfinder-ven]

A fun little sketch of everyone's favourite intern between my med classes

[beraxiv]

(belated) Day 20 of Roevember, Academic!

Bera left Gridania when he was a teen and was subsequently cut off from E-Sumi-Yan and learning more conjury. It ended up leading him to pick up magic books and learn different schools of healing. at first just a way to brush up on his marketable skills along with botany from Fufucha, but it became a passion of sorts.

With time, he became more interested in learning more about magic around the world and their schools of magic, not just Conjury but even the Eastern Geomatic schools. He loves learning and cultures in general, so a chance to study at the Scholasticate was an easy choice for Bera.

[sirensongsea]

how_do_you_do_fellow_kids.png

[dearestcherry]

scholasticate dormitory

a room i made for my theomocent alt, themed after a scholasticate dormitory room. this was as much as i could do with his gil, but i'm happy with it. i always try to make sure my builds have at least one good photo location, and in this case, i find the reflection from these stained glass panes over the scholasticate furniture very beautiful.

details: balmung, empyreum subdivision, ingleside apartment, ward 2, room 2.

[mariyekos]

Going back to @kurookami-no-kuraitsuki's reblog, Halone's a bit of a mixed bag, but isn't as outright dismissive of concerns as Nophica is. Now Halone's my patron deity so I'm definitely coming at this with a bit of bias, but I read her words as acknowledging the faults in some who worship her even if she doesn't outright scorn them, whereas Nophica just gives the elementals the green light.

(Above: screenshots of the third and fourth Halone line below)

Halone: How bold you are to summon me, NAME. 'Tis no less than I expect from one of mine. Halone: In recognition of your valor and deeds, I offer a word of counsel. Halone: Well do I know the power of men's hopes - of mortal faith. And there is no faith that I reject. Halone: Yet in every age, there are those who invoke the name of the divine for their own ends. Be not misled by them.

In the third line, Halone seems to be saying that there is no inherent wrongness in being faithful, as it is powerful in its own right. But in the fourth line, she warns against those who use faith as their excuse to do bad things. No names are named and no details are given, but this acknowledgment of the misuse of the divine to further one's own ends (like what King Thordan and Archbishop Thordan VII, among others, did) is key. Yes faith can be good and she has no problem with faith itself (line 3), but people can abuse faith for selfish reasons, so you should watch out and not be misled (line 4). She does not explicitly mention Ishgard like Nophica mentions the elementals, and she does not say their actions are good, just that faith is.

Basically, Halone seems to be implying she is not happy people have done selfish (or bad) things in her name, which can be read as her not being happy about what some Ishgardians have done even if she is fine with being worshipped in general. It's the actions that are bad, even if the belief is not. And that's what makes the two different!

I know it's in the RB above mine, but I'm going to put Nophica's lines (including the two before it) in the text here just to make it a little easier for me to read and compare.

(Above: screenshot of the lines below).

Nophica: Why, if it isn't NAME! You with to speak, do you? Nophica: Tell me, have you ever met an elemental? Nophica: Many hold that they were born of me, and as I mentioned, they are the voice of those who abide in the Twelveswood. Nophica: At times, they may seem excessive in their actions, but it is out of an abundance of love. So pray be good to them, and heed their warnings!

As @eriyu said, Nophica seems to be just dismissing the problem of the elementals. Even if Nophica doesn't hold any power over them, her message is one of approval. I will note that she doesn't explicitly confirm she actually made the elementals, just that other people think she did. But it's less an issue of whether or not she made the elementals or whether or not she holds any power over them, and more an issue of whether she's fine with what they're doing. Since she tells you to be nice to them and that their actions are done for a good reason (love), I'd say yes, she is.

So...

Nophica basically says "yes the elementals may be doing excessive (bad) things, but it's okay because it comes out of the goodness of their hearts. Do what they say, and don't blame them for being bad!"

Halone basically says "faith can come from the goodness of people's hearts and I like that, but you must be wary of those who use faith as an excuse to do selfish (bad) things. Don't let yourself be led astray by those who do bad!"

If neither can actually stop people/creatures from doing anything, the only thing we can judge them on is what they think of those actions. When the creatures associated with Nophica do bad things, Nophica says to listen because it's for a good reason. When the creatures associated with Halone do bad things, Halone says not to listen because it's not. Hence why I find Nophica's line "worse" than Halone's. One goddess gives an excuse and says to keep doing said things, while the other gives an explanation and says not to.

Tl;dr Nophica does not acknowledge the faults of those associated with her whereas Halone does and that's what matters to me.

what baffles me about the Gridania situation isn't that the problems "still" haven't been dealt with; it's that the story seems less interested in exploring them than it did in ARR. there is so much ARR content that clearly acknowledges that the racism is a problem, that the xenophobia is a problem, that the elementals are a problem...

but later storylines are just more and more content to gloss over it all. as of 6.5 we just have Nophica telling us "teehee, listen to the elementals; all the shitty things they do are just because they love too much :)"

[chatty-moogle]

Final Fantasy XIV Sidequest Guide: Heavensward Edition

When looking up which of FFXIV's many many sidequests were worth doing, I found that most of the lists were heavily focused on the rewards rather than whether the sidequest itself was interesting or added to the overall game experience. So I decided to make a guide myself :)

The sidequests listed here are selected based on their story, or their contribution to the worldbuilding or lore. CTRL+F for the relevant location (e.g. "Coerthas Western Highlands", or "Falcon's Nest"), take a look at the blurbs to see whether they appeal to you, and have fun!

This section is for the Heavensward sidequests, since that's where I started this whole project~ Click below for details!

Note: unlike A Realm Reborn, each settlement will have sidequest chains with a bit more effort put into them, as flagged by the quest pop-up notice having a cutscene screenshot (similar to the more significant MSQs). If you want to get a feel for a place but don’t have the time or inclination to do a lot of sidequests, I’d recommend doing those ones first – though note that they can definitely get quite long! I’ll refer to these as “flagged” below, for clarity.

Ishgard

Like previous cities, Ishgard has a number of sidequests to flesh out the city and get newcomers exploring. Here are some of the better (or at least more informative) ones.

(Foundation – The Forgotten Knight) Gibrillont ~ “Drinking the Pain Away” (Lvl 50) – a story which highlights the extent of Ishgard’s religious dogma, particularly the disastrous effects an accusation of heresy can have on a household

(The Pillars – Fortemps Manor) Torsefers ~ “Dinner for Four” (Lvl 50) – a delivery run on behalf of House Fortemps to the three other High Houses of Ishgard; highlights the connections and rivalries between the Houses

(The Pillars – The Jeweled Crozier) Mathye ~ “Landing a Stable Job” (Lvl 50) – leads you to the Lightfeather Proving Grounds, and gives some context to the culture around chocobos in Ishgard. Not terribly exciting

(Foundation – Aetheryte Plaza) Fury-fearing Elezen ~ “Remembering Ishgard” (Lvl 50) – a tour of some of the locations in Ishgard; outlines lore behind the statues gracing Saint Reinette’s Forum and Saint Valeroyant’s Forum. Not very exciting, but lore-lovers might want to check it out.

(The Pillars – The Jeweled Crozier) Mathye ~ “Landing a Stable Job” (Lvl 56) – leads you to the Scholasticate, and demands a rare bit of simple puzzle-solving

Coerthas Western Highlands

There aren’t a huge amount of sidequests here compared to the other regions, and the pace of them unlocking is not too overwhelming. If you want to give the main story just to give a bit more flavour and context, I’d recommend doing the five already-unlocked sidequests in Falcon’s Nest (+ The Anvil) before progressing with MSQ “At the End of Our Hope” near the end of the Artoirel questline.

Falcon’s Nest

Sigan’s questline (flagged); starts with Auriaune ~ “Stolen Goods” (Lvl 50) – the first quest isn’t all that interesting, but the questline overall deals with how there used to be a village at Falcon’s Nest before the Calamity struck, and how that is being dealt with now

(Not in Falcon’s Nest) Bohemondas “Homesick” (Lvl 51) – a story about a father and son who lived at Falcon’s Nest before the Calamity, and who have rather different viewpoints on its current state. Note that the questgiver is not based in Falcon’s Nest, but in Ishgard, specifically Foundation (X:9.5, Y:10.3)

The Convictory

Saintrelmaux’s questline (flagged); starts with Dominiac ~ “The Secret to Success” (Lvl 51) – this questline does give a bit of insight into life at the Convictory, as well as into Ishgardian high society. But more than anything it’s just a nice story about someone who, in learning more about dragons to hunt them, learns more about himself

Bonifoix ~ “Remember the Fallen” (Lvl 56) – about the sole survivor of a dragon-hunting expedition; a rare illustration of the dangers faced by the Convictors

Margyt and Ayleth’s questline (flagged); starts with Margyt ~ “Unknown Ultimatum” (Lvl 56) – initially a tale of revenge, but it doesn’t go the way you’d expect; this questline also touches upon into the otherwise-unexplored internal politicking and hierarchies at the Convictory. Honestly, I’m not sure whether to recommend this questline as it seems to undermine the ending of Saintrelmaux’s questline, and some plot points are frustratingly gendered (one of the characters is a female dragon-hunter unhappy about not being given opportunities by her male boss, but the story ends with her becoming his loyal subordinate, accepting that it’s better for her to be in a supporting position)

Other

(Located at Falcon’s Nest) Ingaret ~ “Grandfather’s Belongings” (Lvl 50) – gives a little more insight into pre-Calamity Camp Riversmeet area

(Located at the Anvil) Ysaudore ~ “Dances with Wolves” (Lvl 50) – pairs well with “Protecting What’s Important”, as it gives the Ishgardian view of Camp Riversmeet. Note that the questgiver is based at the Anvil (X:26.5, Y:27.9)

(Located at the Convictory) Wealdtheow ~ “For All the Nights to Come” (Lvl 51) – apart from being a must-play due to its completion being necessary to unlock flying in the region, this quest also contains the surprisingly elaborate backstory behind the Dusk Vigil, a tale which leans into the vicious politics of Ishgard

(Located at Falcon’s Nest) Well-mannered Widow ~ “Flower Mill” (Lvl 51) – explains the story behind Gorgagne Mills

(Located at Falcon’s Nest) Troubled Elezen ~ “The Old Man and the Lake” (Lvl 56) – about a man trying to persuade his uncle to move to Falcon’s Nest, away from his house in the middle of nowhere. Best when paired with “When the Ice Melts” (see below), which gives the other’s point of view

(Located at Oakum Landing) Emont ~ “When the Ice Melts” (Lvl 56) – a little vignette about the uncle of “The Old Man and the Lake”, who continues to live out by the frozen lake even after the Calamity. Note that the questgiver is based at Oakum Landing (X:36.4, Y:9.9)

The Dravanian Forelands

There’s a huge amount of sidequests in this area that unlock quite close together (nearly fifty, double that of the Coerthas Western Highlands)! As such, I would definitely recommend doing the minimum to unlock flying (i.e. collecting all the Aether Currents) in the region and maaaybe doing the flagged quest chains before proceeding with the other sidequests. In general, I found the Loth ast Vath and Anyx Trine sidequests more interesting than those at Tailfeather, as the former give you insight into the Vath and the dragons while the latter will feel quite familiar to anyone who’s done the Botanist or Carpenter job quests, or sidequests in the Shroud. If you’re picky, I’d say that the Anyx Trine sidequests are the most worth doing – many of them are cute and give more emotional weight to Ysayle’s position.

Tailfeather

Q’yantaa’s questline (flagged); starts with Loupard ~ “I Wanna Be the Hunter” (Lvl 52) – a tale of a young Miqo'te starting out as a chocobo hunter, and her trials in finding a suitable hunting buddy. One of the weaker flagged quest chain stories IMO, but the very first quest “I Wanna be the Hunter” is worth doing for the insight into the life of a chocobo hunter

Marcechamp ~ “Some Bad News” (Lvl 52) (Aether Current) – gives a little context on how the camps in the Chocobo Forest connect together and Tailfeather’s role as the central hub in the region

(Not in Tailfeather) Guanaret ~ “Why Does the Caged Bird Sing” (Lvl 52) – insight into a chocobo hunter’s everyday life, and one of the key tenets of chocobo hunting. Note that the questgiver is not based in Tailfeather, but at one of the camps (X:39.5, Y:21.7)

Remaclon ~ “What Remaclon Saw” (Lvl 52) – gives a bit of context to the ruins in the Chocobo Forest, and the typical Ishgardian perspective on it. Gives more flavour to the main story if you do this before MSQ “Mourn in Passing”, as it contrasts with Ysayle’s explanation

Hervoix’s questline (flagged); starts with Hervoix ~ “Getting a Legtrap Up” (Lvl 57) – following on from the tale of eager young hunter Q’yantaa is that of a wannabe hunter who shirks his duties, bristling at the menial tasks that his mentor gives him. (This is also a good illustration of what residents of Tailfeather busy themselves with, outside actual chocobo-hunting.) Eventually dovetails nicely with Q’yantaa’s story

Loth ast Vath

(Not in Loth ast Vath) Nonmind Drone ~ “Awakened” (Lvl 53) – a good illustration of how the Vath differ from the earlier beast tribes, in that Vath are not simply “the one good tribe” of that species but rather those of that species who separate from a larger whole. Shows Loth ast Vath’s importance as a sanctuary for nonmind Gnath. Note that for obvious reasons the questgiver is not based in Loth ast Vath, but at the Gnath Stronghold (X:31.8, Y:38.6)

Astute Vath ~ “Advanced Vathematics” (Lvl 53) – following on from “Awakened”, this sidequest illustrates how the line between Vath and Gnath is much more blurred compared to other beast tribes

Vath Storyteller ~ “The Naming of Vath” (Lvl 50) (unlocks Vath Beast Tribe Quests) – similar to “Awakened”, this quest deals with a newly-turned Vath developing a sense of identity, but is a bit more fleshed out and elaborates a bit on the interaction between Gnath, Vath, and the chocobo hunters. Results in a visual change to Loth ast Vath, which is cool! Note that it only unlocks after getting to a certain point in the main story (MSQ Lvl 53).

The Hungerer and Cibleroit’s quests; starting with “Low-hanging Fruit” and “To Each His Own” (both Lvl 52) – a few simple sidequests which do a good job illustrating the difference between Vath and Gnath. Also, the two of them are cute <3

Anyx Trine

Kal Myhk’s questline (flagged); starting with Gullinkambi ~ “When Mother Calls” (Lvl 53) – as a story about the WoL becoming friends with a young dragon, this would already be cute enough, but it’s also a good illustration of the how human-dragon relations were in the past and how they have been soured by the Dragonsong War. Definitely recommended for those who want to add a little more emotional context to the main story, as this gives players an opportunity to really understand where Ysayle is coming from in terms of dragons and humans being able to live in harmony

Toh Y Thrah’s questline; starts with “How to Feed Your Dragon” (Lvl 53) – you help a baby dragon try out some delicacies. The first two sidequests aren’t too exciting, though they do tell you what dragons like to eat if you’re interested, but the third and last one (“A Taste of the Peculiar”) is surprisingly sweet

Ess Khas ~ “A Lesson in Humility” (Lvl 53) (Aether Current) and “Back in the Game” (Lvl 53) – a cute set of sidequests about an old dragon trying to teach his sons humility

Indomitable Wyvern ~ “Blunders in Dragonsitting” (Lvl 53) – a cute story about a dragon looking out for his younger brother (also a dragon)

Sea of Clouds

I personally didn’t find the sidequests in the Sea of Clouds all that interesting; in particular, they don’t flesh out Camp Cloudtop or the Rosehouse beyond what can be gleaned from MSQ dialogue or talking to the NPCs. The Zundu’s sidequests generally weren’t as interesting as the ones for non-human questgivers in the Dravanian Forelands, either.

The Rosehouse

Gildon’s questline (flagged); starts with Gildon ~ “Bargaining Chip” (Lvl 50) – about a man eager to motivate the decidedly unmotivated troops posted to the quiet Camp Cloudtop and Rosehouse, but whose passion is mistaken for foolishness (sometimes correctly). One of the weaker flagged questlines in Heavensward, but the humorously hostile dynamic between Gildon and Camp Cloudtop provisioner Fabrellet is one of the more fleshed out amongst the expansion’s town NPCs

(Not in Sea of Clouds) Hyur on Hard Times ~ “Looking to the Future” (Lvl 51) – somewhat unexpectedly, minor NPC Marielle has a bit of a backstory. Note that the questgiver is based in Ishgard’s Foundation (X:12.5, Y:10.9)

(Not in Sea of Clouds) House Haillenarte Knight ~ “Honoring the Past” (Lvl 56) – goes a bit into some history regarding House Haillenarte, including Laniatte of the Rosehouse’s background. Note that the questgiver is based in Ishgard’s Pillars (X:11.5, Y:10.9)

Ok’Zundu

Gunu Vanu’s questline (flagged); starts with Guna Vanu ~ “Flying the Nest” (Lvl 57) – an amusing tale of a Zundu far past the threshold of adulthood who, due to his laziness, has failed the coming-of-age trial eight times… and counting. Better to leave for when you’ve unlocked flying in the region

Sonu Vanu~ “On Wings of Vanu” (Lvl 57) – a no-combat quest which encourages flying about the area; gives context to the woven orb-like objects you may have seen hanging from some of the islands. Requires flying

(Not in Ok’Zundu) Zundu Intelligencer ~ “For Your Spies Only” (Lvl 57) – a glimpse into the Zundu’s espionage network, which is a fancy way of referring to the scout who monitor the Vundu up close. Note that the questgiver is not based at Ok’Zundu, but at (X:23.0, Y:19.8). Requires flying

Hinu Vali ~ “Returning What’s Ours” (Lvl 57) – gives some context on the tense history between the Zundu and Vundu

Aanu Vanu ~ “Winds of Ill Omen” (Lvl 57) – some lore titbits regarding Vundu totems, and the totems’ significance to the Zundu. IIRC flying is required

Churning Mists

The sidequest unlocks were paced a bit strangely here; the initial round that unlocks when you’re in the area for MSQ reasons is (relatively) manageable in number, though on the whole not that interesting. However, if you for some reason decide to return after a certain point in the MSQ, then you’ll find a ton of sidequests waiting for you… and even more, after you’ve completed that round. Many of the later sidequests are actually part of separate quest-chains, so if you plan on completing most of them, I’d definitely recommend pacing yourself and unlocking flying first.

Moghome

Mogleo’s questline (flagged); starts with Mogleo ~ “A Pebble for Your Thoughts” (Lvl 54) – a cute little tale about a young moogle who dreams of joining the Pomsguard, and his adventures in helping other moogles across the Churning Mists

Mogomo ~ “Nut Job” (Lvl 54) – gives a little insight into life at Moghome; you get to pick kupo nuts!

Pomguard questline (flagged); starts with Mogloo ~ “Protecting the Pom” (Lvl 55) – follows Mogkul, second-in-command of the Pomguard, and his attempts to protect Zenith along with his fellow moogle soldiers. Outlines the arrangement between the moogles and Hraesvelgr, but isn’t particularly interesting as a story. I’m also not keen about how the sole female member of the Pomguard is portrayed as weak and easily-frightened compared to her male peers, especially when there are so few female moogles in the first place

(Not in Moghome) Maenne’s questline (flagged); starts with Unflinching Temple Knight ~ “Into the Mists” (Lvl 56) – a very by-the-numbers look at the work of the dragoon scouting party; basically, you do the entire squad’s work for them. I’d largely skip the story if you do this quest chain (it’s necessary for unlocking the moogle dailies), but the last quest “Laying the First Brick” puts a nice cap on the moogles’ attempts to preserve the ruins in the Churning Mists. Requires flying. Note that the questgiver is posted outside House Fortemps’ manor in Ishgard (X:11.4, Y:11.0)

Twelveswood moogle questline (flagged); starts with House Fortemps Knight ~ “Moogles in the Sky” (Lvl 59) – a story about some Twelveswood moogles who want to visit Moghome. This quest chain is a must-play for anyone interested in moogle lore, as it goes into the cultural differences between the Twelveswood and Moghome residents, as well as their shared ancestral history! But be prepared to spend a lot of time flying all over the Sea of Clouds – it’s to the point where those not interested in moogles may want to give this one a miss. Requires flying. Note that the questgiver is posted outside House Fortemps’ manor in Ishgard (X:11.4, Y:11.0)

Other

(The Monsterie) Mercurial Moogle’s questline; starts with Mercurial Moogle ~ “I Won't Leaf You Behind” (Lvl 55) – a set of three quests about a moogle trying to find herbs to help his sick friend; apart from being heartwarming, it also offers some insight into moogle medicine. Requires flying IIRC. Note that the questgiver is based in the Monsterie (X:34.1, Y:16.0)

(Tharl Oom Khash) Tharl Oom Khash questline; starts with Malingering Moogle ~ “Unwanted Attention” (Lvl 55) – a set of four quests about the moogle research expedition working at the ruins of Tharl Oom Khash (note that the first quest seems very unrelated). There is a lot of flying up and down trying to find the quest objectives, which can be annoying, so I’d mainly recommend this questline to those who are particularly interested in the ruins dotting the region, or in dragon culture. Requires flying. Note that the questgiver is based near Tharl Oom Khash ((X:17.4, Y:11.2)

The Dravanian Hinterlands & Idyllshire

Most of the sidequests in this region actually originate in Idyllshire rather than out in the field, but note that like the Dravanian Hinterlands themselves, the sidequests are unlocked in two phases – first, those that mainly concern the Eastern Hinterlands, and second, those involving the Western Hinterlands. Clearing all the sidequests is not too overwhelming if you do them as they come up (i.e. finish the first set before unlocking the Answering Quarter), but it’s probably quite painful to clear all at once post-Heavensward. Personally, I found that the first set of quests were generally better at fleshing out Idyllshire, but the real stars of the show are the three flagged questlines – two linked ones from Idyllshire, and the one at Matoya’s Cave – definitely focus on these if you can’t be bothered with the rest!

Idyllshire

Slowfix’s questline (flagged); starts with Slowfix ~ “The Pick of the Bunch” (Lvl 58) – about Slowfix’s leaderly struggles in setting up the administrative systems required to run a city; a classic tale of idealism versus practicality. Only this time, the story takes a rather more corporate bent – it’s definitely recommended if you feel strongly about policies and procedures (whether that feeling is positive or negative!). The questgiver is at X:7.0, Y:6.0

Midnight Dew ~ “Community Service” (Lvl 58) – gives a sense of everyday life at and the community of Idyllshire. The questgiver is at X:5.5, Y:6.6

Loudjox ~ “A New Leaf” (Lvl 58) – touches upon what kinds of things goblins trade, including filling for their masks. The questgiver is at X:7.1, Y:7.2

Halfsix ~ “Ebb and Aetherflow” (Lvl 58) – illustrates how recycled Sharlayan technology is crucial to keep Idyllshire running. The questgiver is at X:7.5, Y:6.7

Holepix ~ “The Vangob Job” (Lvl 58) – shows how Sharlayan technology can be reverse-engineered and recycled in less than peaceful ways. The questgiver is at X:7.5, Y:6.7

Notched Bone & Dedean’s questline (flagged); starts with Midnight Dew ~ “The New Arrivals” (Lvl 58) – a thematic continuation of Slowfix’s story, this quest chain explores the ideals behind Idyllshire from a different perspective. It follows two new arrivals who – thanks to bad experiences in Ul’dah – are suspicious of everyone and everything

Other

(Matoya’s Cave) Saro Roggo’s questline (flagged); starts with Saro Roggo ~ “Saro Roggo's Common Life” (Lvl 59) – if you are going to play one quest chain in Heavensward, make it this one. About a self-doubting enchanted frog who fears for his place among Matoya’s familiars, this questline delivers a simple but affecting story, fun (if very simple) riddles to solve instead of the usual “fetch this, kill that” objectives, and gives players a little more insight into the into the excellent Matoya (whose screentime is all too brief!). Flying recommended

Azys Lla

Yes, the final dungeon area has a bunch of sidequests while you wait for the duty to pop (though that’s no longer relevant thanks to NPC support). Unfortunately, said sidequests don’t do much to flesh out the area beyond what you can already learn – or infer – from the MSQ dialogue; there’s only one which might be of interest to lore-lovers. If you’re intent on doing the sidequests regardless, I’d highly recommend progressing with the MSQ first anyway as you’ll unlock all the necessary Aether Currents for flying by doing so.

(Gamma Quadrant) Auditing Node ~ “A Crude Facsimile” (Lvl 59) – touches upon the link between Allag and Garlean technology. The questgiver is based in the Gamma Quadrant (X:29.8, Y:37.6)

[autumnslance]

New Game+ Tutorial

"I don't remember this part of the story." "It's been so long since I played X expansion." "What happened during that raid again?" "Who was this character?" "I story skipped the MSQ/job quests so I don't know what happened and who these people are!"

There's answers to this, friends. Not only is the game's own Unending Journey (in inn rooms, or as furnishing in your FC or private rooms/homes) able to replay many cutscenes, and there's the completed quest log, but there are places online, such as Garland Tools and the FFXIV Game Script, that keep most (not all) of the quest text handy.

But if you want to relive those quests, and/or get the side dialogues and replay (or first time play!) the experiences, as of Shadowbringers 5.1 there's a feature called New Game+ to allow that.

New Game+ (or NG+) will let you replay past questlines, at your current level (which makes it go pretty fast in a lot of cases). There is No experience or rewards to gain through this feature--no using it to level alt jobs. It purely exists to allow experiencing, or re-experiencing, completed content.

Once defeating the Ultima Weapon and Lahabrea at level 50 in ARR's finale of 2.0, you can go to Vesper Bay and find the Wistful Whitebeard.

More info and images below the Keep Reading cut...

(image taken from gamesconsolewiki and their article on this feature.)

Once you've unlocked the feature by talking to him, you get a new menu option in your Duty menu (the exclamation point icon), right between Duty Recorder and Hall of the Novice.

Once you select the feature it brings up a menu of options; it usually defaults to Main Story Quests, but I also have a paused replay under "Suspend" in progress. There are also options that match other quest interfaces, like your Journal or the Unending Journey; Chronicles of a New Era for raids and trials, Side Story for quests like Hildibrand, the Scholasticate, Role Master Quests, Void Quests, and Chronicles of Light (story important side quests, like Tales of the Dragonsong War, Tales from the Shadows, Tales of Newfound Adventure). Tank, Healer, DPS, Crafting, and Gathering quests also have their own categories.

Each Expansion MSQ is broken into parts; usually 2 parts for the x.0 main expansion, and then 2 parts for the patches. They're only available after x.0 or the patch stories are complete.

Also notice the "Help" icon in the top right of the NG+ overlay; it opens a pretty comprehensive guide, divided into menu sections, about how the feature works.

ARR is split into 6 parts, and I do think 2.0 could use a rework in how they're split but for now, I'm selecting Part 6 to look for specific side dialogues that only exist in this timeframe.

Selecting Part 6 opens the description; the Crystal Braves have just been formed, to help the Scions with the turmoil still facing the realm--from refugees, to Garlemald's continuing threat, to primals and Ascians.

Once you do, the NG+ quest info shows up, usually around where ever you keep your MSQ quest marker. I hide my MSQ tracker once it's done, so NG+ fits in that same spot in the upper left for me.

It tells me to "Relive Past Adventures!", which expac and part I'm in, and which quest is my starting point in this case, "Traitor in the Midst", the start of the Ivy spy plotline in Patch 2.4.

From here it progresses as if I am back in that patch and on those quests, but without any experience or rewards. Aeryn's in her current level 90 appearance and skills, making it easy to skip past and handle level 45-50 enemies in these zones.

So long as I am in NG+, I cannot do current quests, plots, or other content; I can't complete new current level duties (duties new in NG+ itself are fine), I can't access the MB, my retainers, or the Unending Journey. I can manually Suspend my current playthrough, or performing some of these actions (like duties) will automatically suspend my NG+ playthrough. You also cannot start NG+ while doing certain things (like some quests, such as leves).

This also will not let you play through the start of other city-states, only your original starter town. Solo duties will let you choose their difficulty immediately, without having to fail them first like in normal play.

If I want to drop my NG+ save before I've finished the replay--maybe I found the info and screenshots I wanted--I can delete the save.

This is an extremely helpful feature that can be used to replay events and quests, either for the fun of it, or because you want to find specific dialogue or lore information that only exists in a specific point in game. Maybe you want to visit old friends lost along the way, or take new screenshots of your WoL as they are post-fantasia.

Maybe it's just been a few years, and you've found you've forgotten some things and want to remember how the story actually went, especially knowing what you know now.

[thedarknesssings]

Prompt 1: Once Upon a Time

Prompt 1: Steer - FFxiv Write 2024 Characters: Arafel de Courcelle, Fiera de Courcelle, Addifore Adelrik @nnamierart, and a Lady Rosaire (a lady borrowed from @houserosaire 's family's past) Content Warning: Blood.

They say peace follows farewells. In the chance of bidding those dear to our hearts fair passage, we who are left behind gain a calmness of mind and heart.

I say who are they anyway?

I’d state the year, but days all blend together after a point, so instead I’ll say when I was a young man barely grown into my ears, my father saw fit to arrange my elder brother, Alderic, and I marriages. His occurred first, of course, seeing as he was the Viscount de Courcelle’s heir and far more important than his gangly spare. My younger sister, Rosine, had already been betrothed for some time. Such was the way of nobility then, children naught more than pawns to move on a board where few truly understood the game.

War consumed us back then, and we were not yet weary of the fight. Tradition and family glory meant raising Alderic to be a fine knight, and though my father tried with me, my strengths lay not in the sword or the lance, but in books. Perhaps if I had been the third son, he’d have agreed to send me into Halone’s service via the cathedral or the Tribunal. He did not permit this and instead, when I was allowed near the city, I spent my time flitting between the Arcaneum and the Scholasticate. My youth, otherwise, was spent in the countryside on my father’s estate, a place now frozen beneath snow and ice and memory.

The bride my father selected for me was a lovely girl, stout-hearted and fair of face with dark chocolate-hued hair that flowed in waves to her waist. She adored chocobos and loathed getting her feet wet in the rain puddles. Her ability in fencing surpassed my own, a fact I appreciated. All in all, we may have made a sound marriage, that Lady Rosaire and I, if it had not been for the fire in the third row of the Scholasticate’s Arcane History class.

The Lady Fiera outshone her classmates by mere presence alone. Her smile struck like a wildfire, furious and easily burning the viewer to the core. Emerald eyes glittered with mischief and good humour, and I was not the only lad desiring her gaze. The Sanguemont good looks and fire-red hair helped her stand apart from the more dowdily-dressed young ladies in attendance.

Belief in love at first sight was a laughable thing to us young men back then. Lust at first sight on the other hand ran amok through the male ranks, feats boasted over and equally scoffed at. To say I lusted for her was not a wrongful claim. I did, shamelessly so. By that time, I had earned a place as the professor’s assistant in the arcane classes. My skill with aether manipulation far exceeded most my age. I have no doubts it was my position that granted me a chance with her. Those of a cerebral nature in any school setting were often the last a pretty girl ever think to look at, so when she asked for assistance with her studies, I eagerly agreed.

Days turned into moons, and my regard for the Lady Fiera only deepened. Her wit and ample kindness underlying the wilder desire to see and do all she could proved itself more intoxicating to me than any liquor or drug could manage. The toll paid became my heart, something I lay readily in her hands to care for ever after with our marria—

“What’re you writing?” The deep voice sliced through Arafel’s thoughts, dragging him from the intricate loops and curves of his hand writing at the tip of a silver-tipped, raven-feather quill to the pair of curious eyes gazing down at him. Addifore’s gaze flicked from the vampire toward the leather-bound notebook lying open on the desk in front of Arafel.

“Nothing of import. Memoirs of my youth, or what little I recall.” A slight shrug accentuates his words, followed by the nonchalant snapping of the journal closed. His crimson eyes darted to the side, sliding over the figure of his lover and taking in the flecks of blood, the bits of mud clinging around the base of his boots. “Did you find supper?”

“We did.”

“Excellent. I’ll finish this later.” Arafel pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. A single claw tipping the end of an elegant finger stroked along the contour of Addifore’s jawline, uncaring about the thin line of blooming red he left in his wake. “I do love watching you dine.”